Protection From the Storm
This article is a part of Spooktober 2023 and is still a work in progress. Written for the Thunder prompt.The rain fell in torrents outside, wreathing the world in sheets of gray, and his mother had been missing for twenty-five days. Darragh had gone to bed hours ago when Father had finally shooed him away from the hearth in the main room of their small home. He hadn't wanted to, wanting to insist that someone had to be there if Mother came home...but the look on the older man's face had told him not to argue the point. So, he had retreated to the room he shared with Daman now that his little brother was too big for the cradle Mother had brought with her from England, lying in the darkness and staring out at the storm. Lightning flashed across the sky suddenly, breaking the monotone of the night, and then thunder boomed so loudly that it shook the house. There was a cry from behind him but Darragh didn't turn, hoping that Daman hadn't really woken up from the sound. For a long moment, he thought he had...then there was a small sniffle. Thunder rumbled ominously again and then lightning cracked across the sky, followed by another boom of sound that rattled the panes of glass in the window. Then, from the darkness, a small voice called out with a frightened tremble, "...Ragh?" Since he'd started talking, his little brother had had trouble with his entire name and had taken to calling him the last half from their mother's first attempt to get him to say it. "I'm here, Daman," he replied gently. "Go back to sleep." There was a beat and then another sniffle, following by a soft, "M'scared." "I know," Darragh said softly. "But it's just a storm." "Mama s-said she would save us from storms," Daman stammered, his voice loud in the room. "Who gonna save us now, Ragh?" "We don't need saving, Daman. It's just a storm." He thought that was the end of it but he heard soft sobbing from the other side of the room underneath the almost persistent rumble of the storm. Sighing, Darragh rolled over so his back was to the window and tossed his covers back before calling out, "Come here." "Wha?" came the surprised sound from the darkness, the last letter left trailing as Daman fought to control his cries. "Come here, Daman." There was a pause and then all he heard was bare feet hurriedly pattering across the stone floor before a small body launched itself at him in the dark. Grunting, Darragh wrapped an arm around his little brother and wrangled the smaller boy down into the bed, tugging the covers back up over the both of them. "There," he stated at he settled back down with his chin resting on top of the downy hair. "Now you're with me. I'll protect you." A small hand curled into the fabric of his collar and Daman sniffled before softly asking, "Promise?" "Swear on old man Mac Uallacháin's beard." That brought a giggle out of his little brother and then they lapsed into silence. For a while, as the lightning flashed and the thunder rumbled, Daman trembled in his arms but didn't cry out. Darragh had a small face shoved into his throat, tears wetting his skin, but there was never another sound while he was in his arms. Eventually, the ragged breathing against his skin calmed and stilled and even several loud booms of thunder that rattled the house didn't wake Daman. Darragh looked down at him in the light from the strikes of lightning outside and curled his arms tighter around his little brother. Mother was gone and so was the baby with her. Father had to take care of the farm. That meant someone had to take care of Daman. Darragh bent his chin down to kiss the top of his brother's head and whispered, "I'll always protect you, no matter what. I promise."
Darragh and Daman, created using Playground AI
Timeframe: 1653
Location: County Kerry, Ireland
Event: In the days after Marie Ó Conaill disappears, a storm comes in the night and wakes up Daman Ó Conaill. Without their mother there, he goes to his brother Darragh for comfort.
Consquences: The bond between the brothers begins to be strengthened despite the eight years difference between them...but it won't hold as their relationship eventually becomes strained.
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